Clothes boiler



June 8 1926.

' V. A. GARDNER CLOTHES BOILER 2 Sheetl-Sheet 1 k 1 fwdvzan Filed July 11 N ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES VERNON A. GARDNER, OF ANGIER, NORTH CAROLINA.

CLOTHES BOILER.

Application filed July 11,

My present invention has reference to clothes washing apparatus.

My object is to produce a clothes washing machine of a construction whereby boiling waterwill be forced in spray-like streams against the clothes to cause a continuous agitation thereof and thereby clean the clothes in a quick and efficient manner without liability of injury to the finest fabrics.

A further object is to produce a clothes washing apparatus; that includes a clothes receptacle having a heating chamber therebelow, said chamber being surrounded by a water drum, while communicating with the bottom of the chamber and depending into the heating chamber there is a plurality of spur tubes, the water from the clothes receptacle being conveyed into the drum and into the spur tubes and heated to a boiling point so that the boiling water therefrom will continuously rise and force itself into the clothes receptacle to act upon the clothes arranged therein and by the agitation thus imparted, the clothes will be thoroughly cleaned in a quick and effective manner.

A still further object is to produce a clothes cleaning apparatus in which boiling water is continuously injected into a cham-- her in which the clothes to be cleaned are placed and which shall embody the desirable features of simplicity and cheapness in construction, together with thorough efficiency in operation.

A still further object is to produce aclothes washing apparatus in which a clothes receptacle has a heating chamber therebe low, and which chamber is surrounded by a water jacket that communicates with the bottom of the clothes receptacle, said jacket having its walls gradually inclined toward each other from the bottom to the top thereof whereby the said jacket is in the nature of a nozzle so that steam generated therein by the heat in the chamber will be forcibly ejected therefrom on to the clothes in the receptacle, and further wherein there are provided spur tubes, also of nozzle-like constructions which communicate with the bottom of the clothes receptacle and depend into the heating chamber.

A still further object is to produce a clothes washing apparatus in which steam is injected in spray-like volumes against the clothes in a receptacle to agitate and clean the same, and wherein the parts are 0011 breakage or burning thereof.

1923. Serial No. 650,943.

structed and reinforced in such manner as to prevent the accidental displacement,

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, reference is to be had to the drawings which accompany and which form part of this application.

In the drawings Figure l is a top plan view of my improvement. V V

Figure 2is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the improvement.

Figure 5 is a top plan view illustrating a slight modification. 1

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a further modification.

Figure 7 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view illustrating a still further and important modification.

Except for the fioatable clothes compressing element my improvement is preferably constructed of metal or of some other suitable smooth fire resisting water holding material. In the showing of the drawings I have illustrated the improvement as square or rectangular in cross section, but in manufacture I may construct my device in other shape and form.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral .1 designates the clothes receptacle of the improvement. The bot-tom of the receptacle is inclined downwardly and inwardly from its outer edge, as indicated by the numeral 2, but the bottom proper, indicated by the numeral 3 is preferably straight. Preferably integrally formed at the terminal of the inclined lowercorner 2 of the receptacle 1 there is a continuous depending wall 4. The wall t has its lower edge flanged inwardly, as at 5 and is thence continued upwardly and is connected with the outer edge ofthe botto1n3. The last mentioned wall is, for distinction, indicated by the numeral 6. The space between these walls provides a water drum which, of course, communicates with the clothes receptacle. The drum also provides an inner heating chamber 7 The bottom 3, at determined, and." prefen ably equi-distantly spaced intervals has oepcnding therefrom and connnunicating therewith spur tubes 8. The tubes, of course, enter the heating chamber '7 but terminate a suitable distance away from the bottom thereof.

Any desired heating medium may beem ployed, and the heating chamber is provided with a door 9 whose'trame 1.0 is arranged between the walls l and 6 of the drum. Thedoor is preferably provided with the usual siidable draft regulating .valve, and the chamber has an outlet flue 11, adjacent to its top for the products of combustion.

By reiterence to Figure 3.0t the drawings, it will be seen that each of the spur tubes 8 has a port 12 that communicates with the water drum 13 so that .water will be continuously circulated between the tubes and the drum.

In practice, a suitable amountot' water, which may be mixed witlrthe .saponaceous fluid is poured in the receptacle v1 so that the same-enters the drum and ackets. The heater is preferably ignited so that the fluid willbe heated before the clothes are placed in the receptacle. The cooler water is, of course, sustained in the receptacle, while the water in the drum and-tubes will be heated to a boiling point. This heated water will be forcibly ejected through the mouths of the drunr and tubes=on tothe clothes in the receptacle 1, so thatthe clothes are continuously agitated, and so that the clothes will be thoroughly cleaned in an automatic and expeditious manner. In ordertoretain the clothes close to thebottoin oli the receptacle 1, I-arrange in the receptacle and over the'clothes afloatable top or cover 14;. The cover is preferably constructed of spaced longitudinally arranged slats connected by transverse elements which may be also in the nature of slats.

readily removed or arranged in the ,.receptacle as desired. The cover is 0t sufiicient iveig'ht to influence the clothes t0ward the bottom o'l the receptacle.

As the'drunrand the tubes are tilled with water during the washing: process the'liabilityoit these parts beinglailected by the'hcat intl'ie' hcating chamber is reduced to a minimunuit not entirely overcome, but the depending water tubes may have a tendency to be warped by such heat. To overcome this, I secure tothe-mclinedlower corner 2 ot'tho receptacle both on its inner and outer faces, straps-.16, as clearlyiillustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. Thesestraps are bent and continued against the inner and outer walls not the drunntover thGcbOttOlll 3 of the clothes receptacle and against thejinner-and outer as well as the bottonrwalls of the spur tithesiS; Elie-strapsaeegsecuredin any The cover has .a central handle 15 whereby the same may be desired manner but the securing means is such as to not permit of. the leakage oi water therethrough. The water drum has at its bottom an outlet cock 17, whereby the water from the drum, receptacle and tubes may be drained as occasion requires.

In I igure 5 of the drawings, the construction is substantially similar to that above deacriherhexcept that the mouths of the water drum and spur tubes do not open into the bottom ot the receptacle. the bottom 18 ot the clothes receptacle 1. being provided with series of apertures 20 and ii which commimicate respectively with the drum and with the spur tubes. \Vith this construction the apertures provide outlet nozzles tor the heatedwater and steam trom the drum and spur tubes so that the said fluid will be forced againstthe clothes in divided sprays.

In Figure 6, the device is also substantially similar to that previously described the water. drum22 communicates directly wvith the bottom of the receptacle, but the bottom is not provided with the spur'tubes. In lieu of the spur tubes there are depending from the bottom and, of course, communicating therewith, spaced series of pipes the-said pipes being connected together at their lower ends by a transversely are 'ill'lgetl pipe 2- and this last mentionedpipe is let in one of the sides of the water jacket 92. In operation, the hot water and steam rom the pipes are ejected in nozzle-like prays, while the hotwate-r and steam from the drum 2 is forced against theclothcs in a continuous volume. I

In Figure 7, I have illustrated an important modification. In general, the construction is also similar to that above de scribed, but the inner and outcrwalls 25 and or" the waterdruni 27am arranged at a gradual inward angle with respectto each other so-that the mouth of the drum 2-? is restricted at itscommunication with theclothes receptacle. Also in the said figurc,-the spur tubes .28 have their side walls graduallyinclinedtoward each other to p revide restrictedqmouths 29 that communicate with the clothes:receptacle' Inthis in stance, bot-lithe vwater drum and. the spur tubes are in the formo't spray nozzles so that the heated water and steam .will be violently forced therefrom in aacontinuous spray against the clothes in the receptacle 7 From the foregoing description. when taken in connection with .the drawings it willbc seenthat I have produced an automatic clothes washer whicn of an extreinely simple construction and which may be cheaply manufactured and marketed. The device is.-l ight,in weight so .thatathe same may be. conveyed todifierentplaces in a Laund-rycr the Elf desired -the bottom of the improvement may have casters arranged thereon to facilitate the movement of the machine.

It is believed that the foregoing description when taken in connection with the drawings, will fully set forth the construction, operation and advantages of my improvement but I desire it understood that I do not hold mysel't restricted to the structural details herein set forth and that I may make all such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of What I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim 2- A wash boiler comprising a clothes re-.

at the terminal of the said flared portion with a water drum Whose side walls are inclined away from each other to the closed bottom thereof to provide a restricted communication with the receptacle, said receptacle having depending from its bottom, inward of the drum, spur tubes, each having its side walls inclined outwardly to the closed bottom thereof to proviee restricted openings which communicate with the receptacle, and said spur tubes terminating a distance abore the bottom of the drum, and the drum, below the spur tubes providing a combustion chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VERNON A. GARDNER. 

